Spanish PM’s shock announcement after court announces it is investigating his wife for corruption

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a “letter to citizens” on Wednesday that he was suspending public duties until next week to decide whether to continue leading the government, after a court announced on the same day that it was investigating her his wife for corruption and influence peddling.

“I need to pause and think,” Sanchez in a “citizen letter” shared on his X account. “I urgently need an answer to the question of whether it is worth it (…) whether I should continue to drive government or to relinquish this honor,” he wrote.

He said he would announce his decision publicly on Monday, according to Reuters.

The shock announcement came after a Spanish court also said on Wednesday it was launching a preliminary investigation into whether Sanchez’s wife, Begona Gomez, had committed a crime of influence peddling and business corruption in her private businesses.

Sanchez said the severity of the attacks he and his wife are facing deserve a commensurate response.

The court investigating Gomez did not provide further details as the case is sealed and in its preliminary phase, saying only that it followed a complaint by the anti-corruption campaign group Manos Limpias – Clean Hands – whose leader has links to the extreme right.

Manos Limpias claims that Gomez used her influence as the prime minister’s wife to attract sponsors for a university master’s course she organized.

Publisher: MI

Download the Digi24 app and find out the most important news of the day